Trigger/Content Warnings: Signs of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder and M rated because of one self-pleasure scene.
Saturday, October 24, 2020
The bell hanging above the door dings as Harvey walks into a small coffee shop. He quickly looks around the room for Mike, whom he spots almost immediately. His former protege is sitting at a table by the window with two cups of coffee in front of him.
"You're late." Mike says, tapping on his watch as Harvey approaches.
"I felt like walking today." Harvey replies, pulling out his chair then settling in. "Black and two sugars?" He asks, pointing to the steaming cup of coffee in front of him.
"With a dash of vanilla." Mike states proudly.
Harvey raises his brows. "She taught you that?"
"Of course she did."
Harvey nods, he takes the cup and blows on it a little to cool it down. He takes a sip of the beverage then makes a weird face after. "That's not a dash of vanilla."
Mike chuckles, "What? I asked for a dash. Sorry about that."
"Not your fault." Harvey says softly. "Where's Rachel?"
"Woke up with a terrible headache but she does have plans later this afternoon."
Harvey scoffs, "Yeah, I remember having those kinds of headaches after a night out. Do not miss them at all."
Mike nods. "I heard you're doing the sober thing now. Good for you."
"I kind of have to." Harvey states. It's a fact, if he didn't get into that accident, he probably would still be a serial drinker right now. He knows he's probably better off this way but he can't deny how much he misses the feeling of being intoxicated. The adrenaline you get from it, the burn that runs down your throat, and the way you get transported to a different dimension when the alcohol finally hits.
"Do you want something to eat?" Mike asks, changing the topic into a lighter one.
"Uh," Harvey says, then turns around to see what pastries are available. "How the fuck does this place not have any bagels?"
"You could get a croissant."
"I'd rather bash my head against a wall."
"You can be so dramatic at times. I'm getting you that croissant." Mike says jokingly, throwing his napkin on the table while laughing. He stands then makes his way to the counter, ordering a couple of assorted pastries for them to try out.
He comes back about five minutes later with a tray full of food. "Whoa there. It looks like you're hosting a party."
"Am I not?" Mike counters sarcastically.
Harvey rolls his eyes, helping him placing the plates on the table. Mike got croissants, cinnamon rolls, breads, and even halloween cookies. He uses a fork to cut a piece of the cinnamon roll and eats it.
"Mmm." He says in delight, he's not the biggest fan of the pastry but it is, without a doubt, excellent. Mike takes a cookie and starts munching on it, the reason he asked Harvey to have brunch with him in the first place is because he knows about what happened to Donna. He watches Harvey devour his meal and sits on the information for a bit longer, waiting for the perfect time to bring it up.
Five minutes later, when Harvey is taking another gulp of coffee, Mike opens his mouth to speak. "Harvey, I know it isn't my place to tell you this but Rachel told me something last night after you left."
Harvey looks up at him. "What about?"
"Donna. She's probably gonna kill me for this but I think you need to know." Mike says. He's got Harvey's attention now. He slowly places his fork on his plate and braces himself for the worst.
"What happened?" He asks anxiously, voice low.
Mike swallows, "She lost her job."
Harvey leans back on his chair, in utter disbelief. "What? When?"
"Yesterday."
"That can't be right, we were just talking about her job before you guys arrived."
Mike shakes his head, "I don't know what to tell you."
Harvey takes his face in his palms and takes a deep breath. "Jesus," He takes a second to gather his thoughts. "Was she fired or did she resign?"
"I don't have the specifics. Rachel told me Donna was being cryptic to her as well."
Harvey's heart starts to sink. Donna has never lost a job before, she has always excelled in everything she did. This must have really stung. Is this the reason why she tried dodging his offer to go to LA with her? Is this the reason, aside from Mike and Rachel, why she was acting all weird yesterday? He ponders on the situation and closes his eyes.
Oh, Donna. He thinks. Why the hell didn't you tell me?"
Thirty minutes later, Harvey is in a cab heading to her place for some answers.
.
Harvey is out of the cab the moment it comes to a halt. He's storming into the lobby of Donna's building, his strides are long and fueled by a build-up of mixed emotions, mostly anger and guilt.
Anger because she didn't tell him.
Guilt because he had no idea and he treated her like crap.
And so he hops onto the elevator and presses the button to her floor. His fingers are trembling. The anticipation is making time feel like it's dragging on forever. He leans his head back on the wall and closes his eyes, hoping that whatever Mike told him earlier today could not be farther from the truth.
Donna is standing in her kitchen with a hot cup of coffee in her hand. She is leaning against the kitchen counter, lightly blowing on her beverage to cool it down. She's dressed in a black tank top and gray lounge pants. Her hair is down and she's walking around barefoot. It's not like she has anywhere to be or a Zoom meeting to prepare for anyway.
She takes a quick sip of her coffee before getting startled by sudden thuds on her door. She lets out a quick yelp then places her hand on her chest to calm herself down. She puts her coffee on the counter and walks towards her door with confusion plastered all over her face.
She turns the knob and finds a very unhappy Harvey Specter on the other side. He's dressed in a navy blue sweater and khaki pants. This is definitely a surprise, especially after the argument they had just the night before.
"Harvey…" She drags. She runs a hand through her hair to tame it a little bit. The only time he has ever seen her in her loungewear was, well, the other time.
But Harvey doesn't mind her 'just woke up' appearance. Donna will always be the most beautiful woman he has ever laid eyes on, but that is not the reason why he is here at the moment. Not wasting any more time, he asks her the question he has been dying to know the answer to. "Why didn't you tell me you lost your job?"
Donna raises her brow in surprise. "Wow," She blinks. "It didn't even take Mike twelve hours." She clicks her tongue then starts chuckling. "I'm gonna fucking kill him." She whispers.
"Donna."
She tilts her head to the side. "You know what, Harvey? I was expecting a 'Good morning, Donna' or maybe even an apology for how you treated me last night but I guess I won't get either." She frowns.
"Donna, I'm serious." He states in a firm voice.
"You think I'm fooling around?"
"No, but you're deflecting."
Donna turns around, leaving the door open for him to come in. He follows her then shuts the door behind him. "Now you won't even talk to me."
"Because I don't feel like talking about it." She says while raising both her hands up innocently. He reaches out for her wrist and gently grabs it, she turns to look at him. Silence fills the room as the contact sends a jolt of electricity through both their bodies.
Donna slowly looks down at his hand and holds her breath when his grip on her wrist softens. It's crazy how a single touch can shut both of them up, how something as small as this can spark enough fire in them to make every next second dangerous. It's probably why they've tried their hardest to keep an ample amount of distance between them throughout the years.
He sees the look on her face as she gazes down on his hand. He slowly lets go, "Sorry." He whispers.
She swallows, immediately missing the warmth of his bare skin on hers. She shakes her head lightly then walks back to the kitchen to take her cup in her hands. He scratches his head. He knows it's a hard subject to talk about but what he doesn't understand is why she is keeping it from him of all people.
"Donna, it's me. What do you have to hide?"
"Nothing." She says, not turning to face him.
"Then why won't you talk to me?" He asks, she can notice the hint of desperation in his voice. She continues to stare at the blank kitchen wall in front of her and it irritates him having to talk to her back. "Goddamnit Donna, look at me."
She closes her eyes and lets in a deep breath. She finally finds the strength to look at him, slowly turning on her heels. She places both her palms on the counter behind her. "They needed me back." She says calmly.
"And?"
She doesn't answer, she just looks at him with a blank expression on her face. Harvey tilts his head to the side, trying his best to read her but he can't. He licks his lips.
"Were you fired?" He asks.
"Yes and no." She answers. Unbelievable, even with him she's being cryptic as hell.
He furrows his brows. What the hell does that mean? "Donna, if you lost your job because of me…"
"No." She interrupts.
"It sounds like you did. That's it I'm calling Stu." He says as he takes his phone out of his pocket. He can't stomach the thought of ruining another thing for her.
"Harvey, don't."
"He's making the biggest mistake of his life." He says, his fingers scrolling down his contacts list.
"Harvey put the fucking phone down." She raises her voice. She sees him tap on his number and panics. She dashes towards him and takes his phone from him. He gives her a disappointed look but she hides the phone behind her back. "I don't want to go back to LA, okay?" She finally admits.
"Why not?" He asks. She sighs then places his phone on the counter facing down. She wraps her arms around herself. "Donna, why don't you want to go back there?" He is searching for her eyes, when they finally meet he swears he just heard her take in a sharp breath.
Her eyes start to water but she doesn't allow her tears to fall. "I was never happy there." She whispers.
"What?" He whispers back, not believing the words that are coming out of her mouth.
"I thought I would be but my life there was just miserable and being here again brought back something in me, I don't know." She says as she places a hand on her forehead. "It made me realize that as long as I'm in LA, I will never feel at home. New York will always be home to me."
It pains her to say this, to admit that she regrets moving to LA in the first place. But in her defense, she didn't see any of this coming. She flew to the west coast in hopes of starting fresh but failed at it miserably.
"I emailed Stu my resignation before he could send me a termination letter so… That's that." She says, sniffing lightly.
"I still don't get why you didn't tell me."
"Are you kidding me?" She scoffs. "I'm embarrassed, is it not obvious?"
"It's nothing to be ashamed of, Donna." His voice comes out very soft and comforting.
Donna's mouth quivers as soon as those words come out. She looks away, not being able to handle another second of their intense eye contact. Her shoulders slump and she looks defeated. "It's just that…" She trails, licking her lips. "For the first time in my life, I don't know what to do next."
"We'll figure it out."
We.
Her eyes shoot back to meet him and Harvey has never looked more sincere. He means it. She nods slowly, taking his word for it. He was never big on the comfort thing, but when does it, it makes her heart melt.
"I am sorry about how I treated you last night." He says.
A small smile creeps on her lips. She waves him off, "I had that coming. I never should've put you in that position."
"Well you did." He says, then starts smiling. "But I'm glad you did."
She rubs her bare arms, overwhelmed by how this conversation has been nothing but wholesome. "Look at us. A year ago we were screaming over who was in the right, now we're doing the exact opposite. I call that character development." She says, bringing her usual Donna tone back.
"We're a long way from who we were a year ago." He states. It's true. Maybe the eight months they spent away from each other did their relationship some wonders. Communication, something they have always struggled with, is starting to become their friend.
Donna looks down to play with her fingers. Harvey takes this time to analyze every single crevice of her face. Even without makeup she is breathtakingly gorgeous. He sucks on his upper teeth as his eyes catch a glimpse of her cleavage. He quickly darts his eyes away and clears his throat.
"Donna, I know we've had our differences but I don't want you to ever think that you can't come and talk to me about shit like this."
Donna shakes her head. "That's the thing, I can't bring myself to talk to you about shit like this."
"Why not?"
"Because…" She trails, looking back up at him. "It's you." She adds.
It's you.
Two words, a thousand interpretations.
But those two words explain why their relationship will always be complicated. Why things will always be difficult instead of easy. They are each other's strength but also each other's weakness.
"You've always been there for me, Donna. Let me be the rock this time." He says.
Donna gives him a sad smile as she finally allows a couple of tears to stream down her cheeks. His chest starts to tighten, he hates seeing her cry. "Come here." He whispers as he pulls her into a hug. His good arm is around her neck, hand gripping her bare shoulder. Her arms snake around his torso as she pulls him closer to her. She buries her face in his chest and he tucks her head under his chin.
He hears every soft sob and sniffle she makes, he shushes her and he rubs her back lightly for comfort.
They've only embraced a number of times throughout the years they've been in each other's lives but being in Harvey's arms feels more like home to her than LA and New York ever did.
.
Harvey decided to stay at Donna's for lunch. She didn't get to go to the store to stock up on groceries yet so she asked him if he's fine with having breakfast food for lunch, Harvey said he couldn't be happier.
She cooked both of them sausages, scrambled eggs, and toasted a couple slices of bread. She places the plate down in front of him and he quietly thanks her. He notices his sausages are already sliced into smaller bits so he doesn't have to, he smiles at the gesture.
"Are you in the mood for orange juice?" She asks as she walks back to the kitchen.
"No, I'll just take a glass of water."
"Alright." She answers. She opens the cupboard and gets on her tiptoes to reach for two glasses. Harvey watches her from the dining room, he chuckles at the sight of her doing that. He has gotten so used to her wearing heels that it never occurred to him how much shorter she actually is without them.
She opens the refrigerator door and pours both of them a glass of cold water. She turns around to walk back to the dining area and Harvey immediately averts his gaze, hoping she didn't notice that he was just staring at her
Except she did.
She presses her lips together then takes a seat across from him, siding him his glass. "What else do you have planned today?" She asks him.
"Nothing much, I guess. You?"
"Rachel and I are going shopping."
"For what?"
"Do you really want to know?" She asks with one brow raised.
"I'm asking, aren't I?" He shrugs. Little did he know he was going to instantly regret it.
"She wants to shop for new sets of lingerie because…"
She stops speaking when Harvey drops his fork on the plate. "Okay, I did not need that image in my head." He says while rubbing his forehead.
Donna burst into laughter. "You asked."
"Now I wish I didn't." He shakes his head then chuckles softly. "What's the occasion?"
Donna takes a second to reply as she's currently chewing on her food. "They're celebrating their anniversary tonight."
Harvey cocks his head to the side. They got married eight months ago, around the same time Donna left for LA. "They haven't even been married for a whole year yet."
She almost chokes on her food. She curls her fist into a ball and coughs into it. His recent remark is funny but she often forgets how clueless he is when it comes to love. "Their dating anniversary, idiot."
"What kind of couple celebrates two anniversaries?" He asks, genuinely curious.
"The helplessly in love kind." Donna says softly.
This shuts Harvey up. She quickly glances at him to see his reaction, his lips are pursed and he's nodding slowly.
They both sit in silence, only the sound of their utensils hitting their plates fills the air. Harvey picks up one piece of toast and eats it, glancing at Donna every now and then. He suddenly feels his phone buzzing in his back pocket. He reaches for it and frowns at the called ID.
"Who is it?" Donna asks as soon as she sees the look on his face.
"It's Marcus." Harvey mumbles. "You don't think…" He trails.
"I never said a word." Donna says in her defense, already knowing what he was supposed to ask.
Harvey clenches his jaw then nods. He believes her. She may be pushy at times but she does keep her distance around his family as it is one of his most touchy subjects. "I'll be right back." He says as he gets up from his seat.
Donna slowly places her fork back on the plate, too intrigued to finish her meal. She leans back on her seat and crosses her arms over her chest, silently praying that the call goes well.
Harvey walks towards Donna's front door and turns the knob. He answers the call then shuts the door behind him. "Marcus." He says, putting his best confident voice on.
"I can't believe you." his brother snarls.
"Excuse me?"
"You got into an accident over a week ago and didn't think to call?"
Harvey closes his eyes then takes in a deep breath. "How did you find out?" He asks, his voice is low and quiet. There is no point in denying this now that it's evident Marcus knows every detail. Well, maybe not every detail.
"I called the firm."
"Shit." Harvey whispers but it was loud enough for Marcus to hear through the phone.
"Yeah, you can imagine my shock when they told me my brother is on an indefinite leave because he's recovering from a car accident."
"Marcus, I can explain." Harvey says calmly.
"You better because Mom and I are driving up to the station right now."
"What? Now?" Harvey asks, his pitch rising to an octave higher.
"Yes now. We'll be there in a couple of hours."
Harvey rubs his jaw. This is exactly what he didn't want, them overreacting and coming to New York when he is fine. He never wanted his family to worry about him.
"Did you at least book a hotel?" Harvey asks.
"We'll talk about sleeping arrangements when we get there." Marcus answers.
"Marcus, I'm fine. You and Mom don't have to come here."
"Well, we want to. I can't believe you didn't tell me."
"I didn't want you guys to worry."
"Harvey, when I got sick, you dropped everything and got on a train to Boston to make sure I was alright. Can't I do the same for you?"
"I gotta go, we're at the station now."
Harvey nods. "Call me as soon as you arrive." He says one last time then ends the call. He lets out a long breath, one that he has been holding in since the start of the conversation.
He's grateful for their concern but the last thing he wants to see is the look on their faces when they see him in a cast. He places his phone back in his pocket and walks back into Donna's apartment.
Donna is no longer at the dining table but at the end of the hallway, standing with her arms crossed over her chest and a worried look on her face.
"Harvey? What did he say?" She asks.
"He and my mom are at the station. They'll be here in a couple of hours."
"I don't understand, how did they find out?"
"He called the firm."
Marcus used to always call Donna to reach Harvey but when she left for New York and changed her number, he started calling the firm's receptionist every time he needed to talk to his older brother.
"What are you gonna tell them when they get here?" Her voice is soothing, she's trying her best to get him in the right headspace for this situation.
He thinks long and hard on this one. They are definitely going to ask him how and why he got into the car accident. Should he lie? Should he tell them a couple of facts and leave the rest, including the lawsuits and his license suspension, out of it? Or should he come clean?
It's a difficult situation to be in. He doesn't want his family to think he has completely lost it, even though he has. To them, Harvey has always been unbreakable, undefeated, the toughest guy to crack.
Would they start looking at him differently when they find out he was never any of those things? He gulps at the thought.
"The truth." He brings himself to say. "But I can't do it alone." He mumbles.
Harvey, in general, almost never admits that he can't handle something. He always used to say that he has everything under control, but not this time. He wants her there when he faces them, he just doesn't know how to say it.
"Okay." Donna whispers. She knows what he meant by that so she doesn't wait for it to come out of his mouth anymore. "You go home." He hears her say. "I'll follow."
"But your afternoon with Rachel…"
"She'll understand." She cuts him off.
He nods, pressing his lips together. He turns around to make his way to the door but stops moving once he reaches the door. He spins on his heel and swallows when he looks at her. "Thanks, Donna." He says softly.
Donna gives him a sweet smile and says "You can thank me later." He leaves her apartment a moment after.
.
Harvey arrives in his apartment a bit too long after. Donna told him she would take care of dinner so he stopped by a pastry shop before coming home to buy a cheesecake for tonight's dessert.
He doesn't understand why his family's visit is making him so nervous. He literally spent about twenty minutes in the pastry shop deciding between a pie or a cheesecake, and wasted another ten minutes debating himself on whether he should get the blueberry or Philadelphia.
He places the bag on the counter. He pulls the box out and walks to his refrigerator slowly, careful not to drop the dessert on the floor. Once it's been placed inside, he lets out a breath of relief. A single drop of sweat travels from his forehead down his temple, he quickly pats it dry using the handkerchief that was in his front pocket.
He turns around and scans his apartment, looking for something to do that could distract him and take his mind off his family. He decides to take another shower instead, hoping the hot water would relieve him of his anxiety.
He walks over to his closet and opens it. He takes his time to choose between a cream-colored Tom Ford sweatshirt or a black one. Again, this is him trying to buy himself some time and to stay distracted. He settles for the cream-colored one and pairs it with black denim jeans.
He places his new change of clothes on the empty space near his sink. He doesn't usually do this but something inside him told him to.
He rids himself of his clothes and his arm sling and steps into his shower. He turns the knobs and waits for the water to reach his preferred temperature. Showering when injured is still something that he hasn't gotten used to yet. Having to extend his left arm so it doesn't get wet is a hassle for him, he also has to make sure it's elevated in an angle where even the smallest droplets won't be able to enter it.
He finally guides his head under the running water and exhales. But Harvey doesn't do anything, he's just standing there as the sound of water hitting the tiled floor blocks the noise that's going on in his head. But sadly, it's not enough to shut them out entirely.
Think of something, Harvey. Anything. He mentally says to himself. He lets out a long breath and closes his eyes.
Baseball, Yankees, court, Donna, bagels, cars, coffee, vanilla, Donna, Italian food, pizza, burgers, strawberries, whipped cream, Donna.
Donna's red hair. Her porcelain skin with enough freckles to map out a constellation. Her soft lips, lips that he's dying to taste again. Her long legs. Her voluptuous body. Her beautiful hazel eyes and crazy long eyelashes.
Harvey opens his eyes when he realizes that thinking about her has awoken his nether regions. He looks down and sees his stiff member, and it's still growing.
His mind goes back to when he was in her apartment earlier, when his eyes unintentionally darted to her beautiful chest. It may have been for a split second but a split second is enough for the picture to be imprinted into his head.
Fuck it, he thinks. He'll do anything to calm his mind down.
It's not the first time anyway.
He reaches for the soap on its holder and rubs it against his skin starting with his chest, to his abdomen, to everywhere. He forms a lather on his right hand and starts stroking himself.
He lifts his head and lightly gasps. He hasn't done this in a while. He tightens his grip around his shaft and increases the speed. He can hear his hand hitting his balls but he doesn't mind it, in fact, it's adding to the pleasure.
His mind wanders back to Donna and his thoughts get more creative as the seconds pass.
Donna is outside his apartment, reaching into her purse for her key. She puts it in the lock and turns the knob.
"Harvey?" She calls out.
She let herself in. She places her purse on one of his couches. She looks around but his apartment is surprisingly empty and quiet. Did she beat him to his own apartment? But he left hers over an hour ago, he must have gone somewhere.
She takes the scarf around her neck and removes her coat and hangs both on the clothes hanger in one corner of his apartment.
She looks out his balcony, he's not there either. A bit alarmed, her heart starts to beat a little faster. She makes her way towards his bedroom, only now does she hear water running. She lets out a sigh of relief.
Inside, Harvey thinks he heard a voice call out earlier, but it was faint. He furrows his brows then shuts the water off, waiting for it to come again. It's not the first time he's heard voices. He doesn't mind it and brings his attention back to the business he was conducting.
"Harvey?" She calls out, her voice is louder this time as she is standing right outside his bathroom door.
"Shit."He curses quietly. He immediately stops touching himself. "Bathroom!" He yells. "I'll be out in a minute."
"Okay." She says. "I'll start cooking if you don't mind."
"Sure!" He says quickly. When he hears the sound of her heels against his hardwood floor grow more faint, he turns the water back on, washing away the remaining soap. He looks down and sees that his member is still erect, he was so close but he didn't get to finish. It's fine, it helped him relax for a couple of minutes, that's all that matters. He sighs and shuts the hot water off, allowing the cold water to calm him down.
He chuckles at himself, it's not his first time thinking of her in the shower, or anywhere, in that way. But given the circumstances that she is inside his apartment right now, it wouldn't be appropriate to continue what he started.
When his cock starts to soften, that's when he shuts the water off completely. He reaches for the towel on the rack and pats himself dry. It was so right for him to bring his new change of clothes with him in the bathroom or else he would've gone out with nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist while she's there in his living room.
He should definitely trust his gut more.
Once he's finished getting dressed, he steps out of his bathroom, leaving the door open so the cool fall air would dry up the moisture on the walls and floor accumulated from his bath. He hears the sound of some pots and pans clinking together in his kitchen. He puts on some socks and chooses his favorite pair of casual shoes to wear.
Something is stopping him from leaving his bedroom. He's afraid to have to deal with her now because how do you face the woman he just jacked off to in the shower?
You don't.
But he has to.
He takes a deep breath and shakes his nerves off. He hates how he becomes such a wuss when it comes to her. He walks out into the living room and sees her standing behind the kitchen island. Her gorgeous red hair is perfectly styled into medium waves, she has minimal makeup on, and wearing a body-hugging white dress that falls just above her knees. He suddenly doesn't know how to breathe.
She looks exactly the same as what she looked like in his hallucination. He gets a random feeling of deja vu even though he knew that at that time, she wasn't actually standing outside on his balcony. In fact, she wasn't there at all. But here she is now, life imitating his vision, it feels like a premonition almost.
"Harvey?" She asks, wondering why he's looking at her that way. But even her voice doesn't bring her back to reality.
Harvey, this isn't you. He hears her voice echo in his mind. He starts experiencing shortness of breath and tightening in his chest, it's all coming back to him.
Donna noticed the change in his behavior as soon as he saw her. She furrows his brows and slowly walks towards him, being very careful not to startle him.
Harvey is frozen where he stands. One moment he sees her, the next he sees a flash of his hallucination of her. It's getting harder for him to distinguish which Donna is the real Donna.
She raises her hand to touch him but he takes a step back in fear. Donna gasps and drops her hand, she has no idea what's happening to him right now.
Harvey shakes his head and starts blinking fast. He is breathing heavily and starts looking around the room, when his eyes finally land on hers, she opens her mouth to speak.
"Harvey, are you okay?" She asks, worry is prominent in her voice.
"Donna…" He whispers. "I'm sorry." He says.
"What happened there? What did you see?"
Harvey continues to pant, he brings his hand up to rub his eyes. "It was nothing."
"That didn't look like 'nothing'. It looked like…" She trails. "It looked like you were afraid of me." She says, her voice is small and laced with pain. Her eyes are tearing up after what she witnessed.
"I just had flashes, that's all." He tells her. He doesn't want her to ever think he's afraid of her.
Donna nods, taking his word for it and not asking for any further elaboration. But she does know that this isn't normal. She has done her reading on how an accident can mentally affect or traumatize a person, this is why Dr. Smith was insisting Harvey should start going back to therapy.
But what if it's her? What if she is his trigger? Her heart sinks at the possibility.
Harvey sees the worry on her face and frowns. "Donna, I'm fine. Nothing to worry about."
"Are you sure?" She asks, there's nothing wrong in clarifying things.
"I'm sure." He nods. "Let's get cooking." He says with a smile, hoping it would lighten the mood and cheer her back up.
He fires up the oven and Donna hands him an apron to put on. He helps her set up the pots and pans and arranges the ingredients so they would be more accessible to her when she needs them.
They spend the next two and a half hours preparing meals and tidying up his apartment for Marcus and Lily. In the middle of all that, Harvey picked a vinyl from his collection and started playing it on his vintage phonograph.
The roast chicken they both prepared is just starting to color, which gives them about an hour more of free time before it's ready.
"You mentioned they left Boston on a whim?" Donna asks while cleaning the surface of his counter with a damp rag.
"Yeah. Marcus picked Mom up from the house as soon as he found out."
"How long are they staying?"
"They didn't say."
Donna nods slowly. "What about Katie and the kids?"
"Back in Boston, I guess." Harvey replies.
"Are they staying here with you?"
Harvey shakes his head. "No. I'm booking them a hotel as soon as they arrive."
They stop talking when they hear faint knocks on his front door. "Which is now." Harvey says under his breath. He and Donna remove their aprons and place them on the kitchen counter. Harvey starts making his way to the front door but fear is creeping up on him and Donna can see it in the way he moves.
His hand hovers over the knob but he doesn't touch it yet. He can see his hand shaking and twitching from anxiety. He looks to his left and sees Donna nodding, urging him to do it. He swallows then finally places his hand on the knob.
"Mom." Harvey breathes as he swings the door open.
Lily immediately wraps her arms around her son's neck. Her sobs and sighs are echoing throughout his apartment. Harvey rubs her back, softly shushing her, reassuring her that he's okay.
"Oh, Harvey." Lily sobs as she pulls away.
"I'm fine. See?" He says and he lifts his arm up through the sling. "This will be removed in a couple of weeks."
He's doing his best to seem unfazed by what happened to him, hoping that it will be enough to convince them and stop them from worrying too much about him. Marcus comes in behind Lily, Harvey pulls his little brother in for a hug right away.
Marcus' grip on his older brother tightens. "Don't ever keep things like this from me again." He whispers.
Harvey nods on his shoulder. "I promise." He replies. They pull apart and Lily grabs the hands of both her sons. She doesn't remember the last time the three of them were in a room together. She is simply taking the moment in and making sure she savors every second of their time together.
Footsteps are heard in the direction of the kitchen and all three of them turn around to see Donna standing there.
"Donna." Marcus says in shock. "Y-you're here." He looks at Harvey for a second and furrows his brows in confusion. As far as he was concerned, she moved to LA almost a year ago.
"I am." Donna gives him a small smile. "Hi Marcus."
"I-I don't understand."
Harvey butts in. "She was my emergency contact. She flew all the way here when she got the call. She's been taking care of me ever since." He says, a grin growing on his face.
Donna bows her head slightly, a little shy. Harvey puts his hand on his mother's lower back and smiles. "Mom, meet Donna."
"Hi Lily. You have no idea how long I've been wanting to meet you." Donna says softly.
Lily smiles then walks over to Donna to give her a big hug. Donna returns the embrace, rubbing the older woman's back ever so slightly. Lily pulls away then takes Donna's face in her hands. "Thank you, Donna."
Donna smiles at her. Lily pulls her into another hug, Donna turns her head to Harvey who is smiling like a Cheshire cat at the sight of his two favorite women finally meeting in person.
Marcus places an arm around Harvey's shoulder and they both stare at the two women talking. Harvey stretches his hand out, gesturing to Marcus to head to the living room so they can settle down.
Lily finally lets go of Donna and takes a seat on one of Harvey's couches while Marcus stands next to her, both hands tucked in his front pockets.
"We're roasting a chicken and it won't be ready for a while so can I get you anything?" Harvey asks.
"I'll have a beer."
Harvey and Donna immediately exchange looks. Marcus notices and cocks his head to the side.
"I'm sorry, Marcus. I don't have beer."
"Oh. I'll settle for wine then." He says while shrugging. Donna clicks her tongue which ticks the younger Specter again. "Alright, what's going on?" He asks.
Donna takes a breath. "Marcus, Harvey doesn't have any liquor in his apartment anymore." She says, completely clueless that Harvey has a stash hidden in one of his cupboards, the ones she can't reach.
"That's unlike you." Marcus says, turning to Harvey.
Donna bites her lip. "Should I tell them or should you?" Donna whispers to Harvey.
"Tell us what?" Lily asks.
Harvey looks at Donna for strength. Her face softens and she blinks slowly, understanding that he doesn't have it in him to tell his family the whole truth about what happened. "Marcus, Lilly…" She trails then licks her lips. "The reason why Harvey got into the accident was because…"
"I was drunk," Harvey cuts her off, her head snaps in his direction. She sees him take in a sharp breath. "And I was high." He adds, but his voice is lower this time.
Lily's lips quiver at Harvey's confession. "What?" She brings a hand to cover her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I was going through a rough time and… this happened." Harvey says, gesturing to his cast.
Marcus takes a step forward. "Harvey, why didn't you tell me?" his younger brother is hurt and his face says it all.
"Because I couldn't handle seeing that look on your face."
Marcus scoffs. "That's no excuse."
"I'm sorry, Marcus." Harvey says sincerely. "But I'm keeping things under control now, and she's keeping me in check." He says, referring to Donna.
Marcus purses his lips. He looks at Donna and stretches his hand out to hold hers, she accepts. He squeezes it, it's his way of expressing his gratitude to her for taking such good care of his brother.
"It won't happen again." Harvey says to his Mom. She lets another tear roll down her face then nods at him. She trusts him.
Donna eventually serves everyone a cup of tea while waiting for dinner to be ready. They talk about everything that comes to their minds. They all settle on the couches after Harvey starts a fire in the fireplace to keep them warm. He takes a seat next to Donna but leaves enough space between them so his mother doesn't get the wrong impression of the two of them.
Seconds turn into minutes and conversations transition into new ones. Laughter Harvey's chest starts feeling lighter, he doesn't remember why he was so afraid to face them in the first place. It certainly helps that Donna is here with him, he knows deep down that he never could've done this without her.
They talk about everything. From Lily's stories about Harvey and Marcus' childhood to Donna recalling almost all of her and Harvey's mishaps at the DA's office and the firm.
The oven timer alarms and cuts the conversation short for now. "I'll get it." Donna says as she gets up.
"I can help you, dear." Lily says, placing her now-empty cup of tea on the table in front of her.
"Oh, Lily, you don't have to."
"I insist."
Donna smiles and nods, she knows better than to decline help from a mother, especially Harvey's. Donna hands her a set of oven mitts and opens the oven door. Lily takes the pot out of the oven and places it on the cooling rack near Harvey's stove.
Donna fans the dish and prepares the gravy and other side dishes. Lily places her hand on her hip and stares intently at the redhead. Donna can feel the intensity of her stare but decides to not acknowledge it.
"So, it's you." Lily says.
Donna turns to Lily with a confused look on her face. "I'm sorry?"
"You're the special woman in Harvey's life who convinced him that he needed to forgive me."
"Oh." is the only thing she manages to answer. She doesn't want to take full credit for it because he never would've listened to her advice if he didn't think he was ready to forgive her already. But just as she was about to say that out loud, Lily opened her mouth to speak again.
"Marcus has always spoken very highly of you throughout the years. Every time I asked him how his brother was doing, he would always say 'Donna this, Donna that'. And I told myself, 'Damn, I need to meet this mysterious Donna'."
This elicits a chuckle from Donna. She's overwhelmed by all this. It never occurred to her that Lily would know who she was, especially because they've never met before today.
"I don't know why I never put two and two together. And now that I've met you and gotten to know a little about you, I understand why you've got Marcus raving about you and why you've got Harvey wrapped around your little finger." Lily adds.
Donna's smile fades and her jaw drops. What does she mean by that? Did she really pick all of that up in a matter of minutes? She wants to say something but can't think of anything at the moment.
"Thank you, Donna." Lily says, giving her the sweetest smile. "Thank you for bringing my son back to me."
Donna presses her lips together as tears of happiness start collecting in her ducts. Lily's eyes are glassy as well, she chuckles and brings a finger to her eyes. "Don't you start crying, dear. I've cried enough tonight." the older woman says.
Donna laughs as well. Lily rubs both Donna's arms and sighs. "I'm so grateful for your presence in my son's life."
"I can say the same about your son, Lily."
Not too long after, all four of them are seated at the dining table helping themselves to a delicious meal and sharing more stories until their stomachs are full and their jaws are hurting from all the smiling and laughing.
.
Dinner with Harvey's family ended earlier than expected. It's not like they didn't have a good time, they did. They just started to feel how tired they were from the trip from Boston to New York.
Harvey ended up booking a hotel just a block away from his place because Lily refused to stay at some fancy hotel on the other side of town. All four of them rode the elevator down to the ground floor and walked out of the building. Lily gave Donna the tightest goodbye hug while Marcus placed a quick kiss on her cheek to thank her for taking care of his brother.
Harvey waved a cab for her and opened the door for her as she got in. She gave him a small smile, he returned it and watched intently as the cab started driving off.
Throughout their time together, Lily noticed the intensity of their dynamic. She noticed how gentle they are with each other, how they finish each other's sentences, and how their stares linger for a second too long. She knows there's history there, definitely driven by an undercurrent of love. She is aware that she has barely even scratched the surface of their relationship but she doesn't bug him about it for now. That sounds like a lengthy story for another time.
Donna arrives at her apartment and immediately kicks off her heels. There's a cheesy smile on her face that doesn't want to seem to go away. There are no words to describe how full her heart feels right now.
She tosses her purse onto her couch. She unwraps the scarf around her neck and unbuttons her coat. She places both on her hamper and walks over to her bedroom closet. She changes into silk pajamas, takes a couple of makeup removing wipes and cleanses her face with it.
Her phone starts ringing. She pauses for a bit and turns her head to the direction of her bedroom door. She walks slowly towards her couch. The ringing doesn't stop so she reaches into her purse and searches for her phone. The caller ID shows "Robert Zane".
She furrows her brows, wondering why he would call her. Is there a problem involving Harvey? Or Rachel? She taps on her phone and accepts his call, bringing the phone to her ear.
"Robert." She says anxiously.
"Red." He answers in a calm manner. This confuses her even more.
"Can I ask why you're calling me this late?"
Robert takes a couple of seconds before replying. "I apologize, did I wake you?"
"No." Donna chuckles. "I was just toying with you." She wraps one arm around herself, she thinks there is no emergency of some kind so she can calm her nerves down now.
"Ah, my daughter was right about you. You are a feisty one."
"Well, I am many things. Feisty just happens to be one of them." She laughs. She and Robert never worked together because she resigned before he joined the firm and took over as managing partner but she is well aware of his reputation. "But seriously, what can I do for you?" She asks.
"I'm calling because I have a proposition for you." He says in a proud and confident voice.
"Oh." Curious, Donna furrows her brows. She takes a seat on her couch and tucks one of her legs under her. "I'm listening."
"I would like to offer you your old job back." He says.
Donna's world suddenly blurs out. Is she hearing this right? Is he saying what she thinks he's saying? How did he find out she lost her job? Did Rachel tell him?
So many questions are swirling through her mind right now but only one escapes her lips. "What?" Donna breathes.
"Donna," Robert says in a firm voice, she hears herself swallow a lump in her throat. "I'm offering you the position of Chief Operating Officer at Zane Specter Litt."
Hi besties! Thanks for tuning in to this week's chapter. If you have any thoughts, please feel free to jot them down in the comments section below. I enjoy reading your reactions and I appreciate every single one of them. Thank you for the continuous love and support on this fic.
Xoxo, May.